


Like Father, Like Daughter

by theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Uchiha Sarada-centric, family matters, growing up fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 02:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8383933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs/pseuds/theGirlwithtoomanyOTPs
Summary: In essence, Uchiha Sarada knew father even when he was away.





	1. I.

She had a strong set of lungs, no doubt she will be crying out her mother's war cry soon.

She cried during the wee hours of the night when she woke up without mother or father on her side. It had been less than a week since the family of three got back to Konoha. And already the babe knew when she had was left alone in a crib. She was more familiar to her mother's arms or slung to her father's side during the first three months of her life.

Tonight she cries too. Loud and shrill. She demands the scent and warmth of wood smoke and cherry blossoms. Scents that she has attributed to safety and love and affection. With her mother off to an emergency duty at the hospital, her father away for god knows how long at god knows where, Sarada was not a happy baby.

Sakura, maternal or shinobi instincts, comes home running straight through the rain. She finds her mother rocking a fussy and irritable baby in her arms. Her father tries to make funny faces that the child did not appreciate. Her mother, known for her tolerance of Haruno Kizashi, seemed just about at the end of her rope.

"Stop it, Kizashi!" She scolds her immature husband of almost forty years, "you're scaring her!"

"I'm doing no such thing! The kids all love me," Kizashi coos as he speaks, both shameless and petulant that his wife was telling him off. "Sarada-chan loves her ojii-san! Don't you, Sara-chan? Yes, you do! Of course you do!"

The baby screams her lungs out further and her face is a mix of tears and snot. She is turning purple by the second, giving no pause on her tantrum to even breathe. Her hands fisted and clenched in her mini-rage.

It feels like a forever to Uchiha Sakura before she reaches her daughter. The mother snatches her as polite and apologetic as she can from her Mebuki's arms. She begins peppering the messy face with kisses and nuzzling her hair. She's whispering over and over, "Sarada, Sarada, my baby... Mama's here... Mama's here..."

Soon enough, Sarada's bawls turn to sniffles and hiccups and a tired sleep.

"Looks like someone takes after their Papa!" Kizashi chuckles, watching the angel sleep. "My daughter's the only one to calm angry Uchihas!"

From the outskirts of Amegakure, Uchiha Sasuke sneezes.


	2. I.II.

Sarada had ran before she walked or crawled.

She was quick on her feet and had reached the kitchen from the living room before Sakura had noticed.

Sarada leaves Inojin napping on the _futon_ her mother had set up on the floor. The boy sleeps on, oblivious to his playmate's sneaking.

Sakura had only gone to make herself some tea when she hears the pitter patter of small bare feet on wooden floor. When the mother turned, Sarada was already fast approaching.

Silent tears poured over her cherubic face. She had grown past loud fits after the seventh month. When the wood smoke and cherry blossoms stopped coming before she had cried herself to sleep.

Sometimes Sakura felt guilty, having gone back to the hospital too early for her own liking. But with Tsunade-shishou travelling away from Konoha on most days, it wasn't easy. She, Ino and Hinata have started covering more shifts than they would like as new parents. They brought the kids some days but it was hard to subject the kids to such an environment. Boruto catching a cold was the end of it. Even after the spike of the number in Academy students after the war, there still were little numbers in anybody capable enough to be a medic-nin.

Sakura catches her daughter before she falls.

"So quick on her feet; just like Papa." Sakura murmurs through inky locks, rubbing soothing circles on her baby's back. She kisses her daughter's head and smiled wistfully. "Soon you'll be going places Mama won't reach."


	3. V.

Sarada grows up knowing her father is a powerful shinobi rivaling Uncle Naruto himself. Uncle said it himself. And books say Uncle Naruto was the best in the whole wide world. At four years old, with no idea what it actually means to be strong, Sarada is still in awe.

Mama was strong too--strong enough to lift a car off an injured child. But Mama says Uncle Naruto and Papa were way stronger.

And to the five year old Uchiha Princess, that was nothing short of amazing. She wants to be strong too. Like Mama. Like Papa.

So she doesn't cry when she scrapes her knees playing tag with Boruto. She doesn't ask Mama to stay with her in bed when there is a stormy night and thunders shook the house. She doesn't make baa-chan call Mama home when Mama has work all night. She doesn't ask for help when she needs to reach for her breakfast on the topmost kitchen cabinet. She doesn't make a fuss when a scary dog comes snarling.

Because Mama doesn't cry even when she has to do everything. From cleaning, to cooking, to teaching Sarada her basics. Mama was strong. So Sarada will be strong too.

When her first day in the Academy comes, Sarada is quiet and shaking in her new red shoes. Mama takes the morning off from work to see Sarada off. She is beaming and excited, taking pictures of Sarada from the moment she got up. Sarada could not smile for any of them.

"Mama and Papa are cheering you on!" she is saying now.

_How would you know, Mama?_

"If Papa were here, he'd be so proud like Mama!" Mama continues, unaware of her worries. They walk apart now, as Sarada refuses to hold her Mama's hand to school. She is a big girl now, Uncle Naruto had said. Big girls don't walk with their Mama's hands.

"Mama is so excited for Sara-chan," Mama grins. "Sarada-chan is such a good girl. Such a big girl. She'll be a better ninja than Mama and Papa combined!"

Sarada does not look up to her mother and continues to stare at her shoes, shining in the sun. Her hands clench on her backpack straps tighter.

Mama had made Shio Kombu Cheese Onigiri resembling bears. There was even tempura. Mama had woken up early to buy the first catch of the day. She added cherry tomatoes, salted egg and some bean strings in the bento box.

Sarada was watching the whole time her Mama bustled around the kitchen. She jumped back to bed before Mama could finish laying out breakfast. Sarada even pretended to be asleep when she was woken up.

The bow around her collar felt too tight. Sweat was dripping in places she couldn't reach. And the air feels hot but her hands are so cold. She swallows and she feels kinda sick.

_Was Mama ever scared on her first day?_

"Sarada-chan," Mama says in a whisper. She looks up and she doesn't realize that she has been crying for a while now. Mama kneels to her level and smiles that pretty smile. Mama was the most beautiful. She begins retying the ribbon on Sarada's collar. "To be honest, Mama's nervous. I'm scared too. My first day wasn't the best. I was from a civilian family. They weren't all welcoming. But Sarada-chan is so strong, Mama knows she'll be better than okay. Mama knows Sarada can take care of herself. Mama knows Sarada doesn't need Mama's help most days. But this means I can't be with you more. Mama's just being silly. You probably think Mama's annoying. Since you are so much like your Papa."

Mama pats her ribbon once she finsihes. Sarada feels a poke on her forehead and her tears stop as she stares startled into her mother's jade eyes.

"But Papa isn't the strongest. Papa gets scared too, y'know?" Mama says. "He was nervous on his first day too. Papa came from a great and strong family. He wanted to be strong too."

The girl's eyes widen in disbelief. _Papa and Mama scared? No way. Why would they be scared of anything?_

"But sometimes you can stop being strong." Mama holds her hands, warms and rubs them between hers. "Papa has his moments. He was scared a lot before. And he's scared a lot now too. He's scared he won't meet Sarada-chan. And he's sad he can't be here with us right now. But he's more scared that if he doesn't finish his mission, he'll lose us. But Papa isn't here. But if he was, he will tell you it's okay to not always be strong."

Mama looks away and Sarada follows her eyes. They were already at the Academy.

"That's why you're going to the Academy, though," Mama smiles again at her. "To become stronger than you already are!"

"Papa's always wanted to be strong too?"

Sakura muses and wipes Sarada's tear-stained face with her hands. "Papa wanted a lot of things. Being strong was one of them. But  Papa also wants Sarada-chan to know being strong isn't everything."

Sarada looks at Mama's hands wrapped on her own. Mama's hands are soft and look small. But she's seen Mama's glowing and fisted hands. Clasped between them, Sarada's feel small and weak. But she smiles anyway.

"Thank you, Mama."

Sakura's face falls to a one of surprise. But she smiles right away, tearing up a bit.

"You take after your Papa too much, sometimes."

**Author's Note:**

> much love for the Uchiha family


End file.
